Car-coupling



v T llnssqs:

(No Model.)

0. A. ANDERSON. OAR 0002mm.

No. 477,399. Patented June 21, 1892.

d o/yaz/ I "IL UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. ANDERSON, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 477,399, dated une 21,1892. Application filed February 17, 1892. Serial No. 421,894. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, county of lVinnebago, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to prod uce an automatic coupling forrailway-cars which, though as strong and reliable as the link-andpincoupling, is comparatively free from the danger incident to theoperation of the latter. Another feature of superiority of this couplingover those in common use lies in the great saving of time in itsmanipulation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometrical representationof my coupler applied to one of the draw-bars of a railwaycar, showingthe coupling set not to engage when the adjacent draw-bars are pushedtogether. Fig. 2 is an isometrical representation of the coupler set toengage when the two adjacent draw-bars come together. Fig. 3 is anisometrical representation of the coupling in engagement. Fig. at is asection of the coupling in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the application of this coupler to a railway-car I first provide foreach end of the car a draw-bar 1 of substantially the usual form,excepting the raised portion 2 near the forward end of each bar on itsouter side, while the mode of attachment to the car is not differentfrom ordinary couplers. Rearward of the projecting portion 2 I form thevertical channel 3 in the outer side of the draw-bar. The opening 4 andthe hole 5 are provided for the use of a link and pin when my improvedcoupling is placed adjacent to a car fitted with the former style ofcoupling. Secured in the vertical channel 3 is the first of the twoupright bars 6 and 7, which being joined at their lower ends by the bar8 complete the supportingframe for the moving parts of the coupler. Thebrace-bar 9 serves to strengthen and stifien the free ends of the bars 6and 7. To hold this supporting-frame fixed in relation to the draw-bar,I secure it thereto by passing the bolt 10 through a hole in the arm 6and through the draw-bar. In the forward edge of the upper end of thebar 6 I form the recess 11 and in the bar 7 the hole 12, the pin 13forming a removable closure for the recess 11, holding the crank-bar 14in position. The crank-bar 14 is provided with a crank at each end, andthe one next the bar 6 has a connecting-rod 15 extendingto the top ofthe car, from which point the coupling may be operated.

Adjacent to the bar 7,just within the frame, I secure the arm 16 rigidlyto the crank-bar 14, the arm lying in the same place as do the twocranks. A projection 17 from the inner face of the bar 7 engages a notch18 in the short end of the arm when it is desirable to set the parts notto couple when the drawbars come together. A projecting wing 19,extending rearwardly from the bar 7, guides the arm into place betweenthe bar and the draw-head. I

The operation of my coupler is as follows: If it is desired to set theparts so they shall not engage, the crank-shaft 14 is turned either fromthe ground or the top of the car until the arm stands upright, when thenotch 18 in the arm engages the projection 17, extending from the bar 7,which holds it in an upright position and from causing the draw-bars toengage. To set the parts for engagement, the arm is turned downward andallowed to hang beside the arm 7 of the frame. The draw-bar of theapproaching car first strikes the inclined face of the heads and thedraw-bars spread until the inclined shoulders coincide, when they areforced together, and the arm 16, having been pushed back by theadvancing draw-bar, swings forward into its position between thedraw-head and the frame. The raised portion 2 holds the arm fromdisplacement. When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the shaft isrotated by the cranks at its ends or by the upwardly-extendingcouplingbar from the top of the car and the crank 16 turned into anupright position, when the notch 18 in the pin will engage itsprojection 17 and hold it in this position.

The notch in the arm has inclining sides, and the bearing for thecrank-shaft is somewhat larger than the shaft to allow the arm to bereleased by simply turning the shaft.

The pin 13 is withdrawn when it is necessary to remove the crank-shaft,which removal is then easily accomplished without displacing the armfrom the shaft.

\Vhile the drawings show the frame, crankshaft, arm, &c., attached toone draw-bar only, it should be understood that each draw-bar isequipped with similar parts.

I claim as my invention 1. A car-coupler having two draw-bars,Wedging-heads thereon, an inclined shoulder on each bar, a stop forlimiting the lateral movement of the draw-bars, and a pivoted armcapable of being placed between one of the draw-bars and the stop.

2. A car-coupler having two draw-bars, wedging-heads'and inclinedshoulders thereon, a stop for limiting the lateral movement of thedraw-bars, a shaft, and an arm rigidly secured thereto, said shaftcapable of an oscillatory movement.

3. A car-coupler having two draw-bars, wedging-heads and inclinedengaging shonlders thereon, a frame affixed to each draw-bar,ashaft-jonrnaled in eachframe,andan arm rigidly secured to each shaft,which arms are capable of being placed between the frame and thedraw-bar to prevent the lateral movement of the draw-bars.

4:. A car-coupler having two draw-bars, Wedging-heads and inclinedengaging shoulders thereon, a frame affixed to one of the draw-bars, ashaft jonrnaled in the frame, an upwardly-extending connecting-rod forthe shaft, an arm rigidly aflixed to the shaft, a projection from theframe, and a notch in the arm for engaging the projection.

CHARLES A. ANDERSON.

\Vitnesses:

L. L. MILLER, A. O. BEHEL.

